- Endless examples occur daily. Overnight Sunday, Maan
News said Israeli forces raided homes of seven recently released prisoners
as part of the October 18 exchange.
-
- Notices were sent to Akram Mansour, Shadi Zayid and Ibrahim
Yasin. They were ordered to report to Israeli intelligence for questioning.
-
- In August 1979, Mansour was imprisoned for life. Before
release, he participated in hunger strikes against harsh conditions for
relief. Brain cancer's slowly killing him.
-
- Nael and Fakhri Barghouthi's homes were also raided.
Interrogation orders followed. Before release, Nael was Israel's longest
serving Palestinian prisoner, held since April 1978 for alleged involvement
in armed resistance. Israel criminalized his heroism.
-
- Others affected included Adnan Zeid al-Kilani, Sumad
Karaja, and Latuifa Abu Thiraa. Latuifa formerly was detained.
-
- Since June 1967, up to 700,000 Palestinians were imprisoned
for wanting to live free in their own country on their own land in peace.
Israel calls legitimate resistance terrorism.
-
- Anyone accused without evidence can be detained indefinitely,
including harsh isolation for months or years to break them.
-
- Maan also said Israel continues to withhold Palestinian
Authority (PA) tax revenue transfers. After accepting full UNESCO membership,
they were blocked. About $100 million monthly is involved. They're vital
funds PA officials need to operate, including to pay salaries to 150,000
employees.
-
- PLO official Saeb Erekat described Israel's "blackmailing,
bullying and stealing" Palestinian money. Israeli Finance Minister
Yuval Steinitz insisted on withholding funds as punishment for joining
UNESCO and concluding (an unfulfilled) reconciliation agreement with Hamas.
-
- Over the weekend, Palestinian sources said Israeli soldiers
clashed with dozens of Palestinians in Silwan in East Jerusalem. Tear gas
canisters and concussion grenades were fired directly at protesters. Area
homes were affected. Mahmoud Atiyya was kidnapped. No injuries were reported.
-
- On November 12, the UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said settler attacks rose 40% in 2011 compared
to 2010. Dozens of injuries and extensive property damage resulted.
-
- Three Palestinians were killed, another 167 injured,
and 127 more displaced. Over 10,000 olive trees were uprooted, damaged
or destroyed. Settlers operate lawlessly with impunity. Even murder's rarely
punished.
-
- On November 14, a Haaretz editorial headlined, "Israeli
leaders choosing personal interests over law," saying:
-
- Government officials and prosecutors collaborate "with
thieves and lawbreakers." Rather than protecting Palestinian landowner
rights, state attorneys continue foot-dragging on issues relating to lawlessly
seized land.
-
- "This time, they asked the High Court to delay razing
(illegal) structures for no less than 14 months." MKs and Netanyahu
also want evacuating Givat Assaf built on private Palestinian land delayed,
even though Justices ordered the outpost vacated by yearend. At the same
time, Netanyahu wants lawless outposts legalized.
-
- MKs will consider another bill to restrict human rights
groups like Peace Now and Yesh Din. They and others help Palestinians regain
stolen property. The Knesset's Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved
the measure Sunday.
-
- "(T)he government's behavior with regard to the
outposts, particularly those erected on privately owned land, demonstrates
that a small group of criminals can terrorize Israel's elected public officials."
-
- Worse still, political self-interest "ridicule(s)
High Court" decisions, ignores rule of law issues, justice, and Israel's
national interests.
-
- On November 14, Haaretz headlined, "Netanyahu's
'draconian laws' are attack on Israeli democracy, say MKs,"saying:
-
- As MKs readied to vote on controversial laws, some "from
both the opposition and the governing coalition have voiced strong criticism,"
calling them draconian and undemocratic.
-
- Opposition leader Tzipi Livni said:
-
- "We will fight Netanyahu's draconian laws. This
is an attempt to turn Israel into a dark....dictatorship. Every government
minister, even if he or she opposes the laws, is part of a system that
is silencing the citizens. This is not a matter of an opposition to the
government. There must be a front that expresses the sane and balanced
voice."
-
- In fact, Israel abandoned sanity and democratic values
long ago. Current Knesset extremists lowered both bars further. No law
is too outrageous to pass. Expect free expression to be criminalized and
human rights work subverted.
-
- Other proposed legislation affects procedures for High
Court appointments and asylum seeker rights. Expect further rule of law
weakening throughout the session. It's been endangered for years. Death
and burial may soon follow.
-
- A Final Comment
-
- Haaretz said "Western intelligence" officials
told Time magazine that Mossad operatives caused Saturday's Iranian explosion,
killing 17 and wounding 15.
-
- At issue is sabotaging Iran's nuclear program. Time was
told, "There are more bullets in the magazine."
-
- Occurring at the Modarres Military base near Tehran,
Revolutionary Guard General Hasan Moghaddam and 16 other military forces
were killed.
-
- Head of Iran's parliamentary National Security and Foreign
Policy Committee Alaeddin Boroujerdi told the Islamic Republic News Agency
(IRNA) that the incident would be investigated.
-
- Tehran's western suburbs felt its force, 45 km away.
Some thought it was an earthquake. Some reports said an initial blast was
followed by a second one.
-
- In recent years, other explosions rocked Iran. Two years
ago, a similar incident killed 20 about 500 km southwest of Tehran. The
Washington-based Global Security Institute said a base used to assemble
and store long-range Shihab-3 missiles was targeted.
-
- Iran said Mossad, CIA and Britain's MI6 used Jundollah
and other terrorist groups for years to commit attacks on targeted sites.
-
- Known covert operations have gone on for years, including
cyber attacks, political assassinations, sabotage, false accusations, and
other destabilizing tactics.
-
- A Bush administration Finding authorized $400 million
for covert mischief and intelligence collection. CIA operatives get carte
blanche authority to commit sabotage, recruit anti-regime insurgents, coordinate
propaganda, spread malicious lies, manipulate Iran's currency, and conduct
other lawless acts.
-
- Iran's nuclear program is specifically targeted. Regime
change plans were prepared long ago. Washington favors a "Greater
Baluchistan," integrating Pakistani and Iranian Baluch areas under
puppet officials subservient to America. In other words, balkanizing both
countries for easier control is planned.
-
- Moreover, Israel's longstanding Iranian hostility is
palpable. At issue is regional rivalry. Israel wants unchallenged Middle
East dominance.
-
- Nothing's to extreme to get it, including all out war.
Some observers think it's coming. It's just a matter of time, perhaps as
soon as Christmas. Expect the entire region to explode if it happens.
-
- Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at
lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
-
- Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and
listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive
Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central
time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy
listening.
-
- http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.
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